St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-27
EXPECT GREAT BENEFITS.
Wisconsin Lumbermen Hopeful
of Good Results From the Trip
of the Eau Claire Committee.


of Good Results From the Trip
of the Eau Claire Committee.
Special to the Globe.
EAU CLAIRE, Dec. 26.-The Eau
Claire committee of lumbermen and
other business men, appointed to
visit railway officials in Milwaukee and
Chicago with view to securing better
lumber freight rates in the spring, have
returned from their mission. The conf
mittee were unable to see General MAN.
ager Miller, of the Chicago, Milwaukee
& st. Paul, who was absent from Mil
waukee, but had very satisfactory in
terview with Mr.. Hughitt, Of the Chi
cagO. st. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha, at
Chicago. Mr.. Hughitt talked very IA
vOrably, and, it is Understood, has been
good deal impressed with the import
ance and justice of the demands now
being made by the lumber in
terests of this region. This demand
has been made before at various times
during the past three years, but the
circumstances attending the present
movement seem to preSage success be-
yOnd reasonable doubt. Powerful in
tereSts have been enlisted which have
hitherto been at least only neutral and
sometimes hostile, and revolution in
the present conditions is regarded as
CERTAINTY OF THE NEAR FUTURE.
1t is believed that Frederick Weyer-
haeuser's acquisition of further manu-
featuring interests in this section and
the present move for reform in lumber
rates are not merely condolences, and
the belief is probably well grounded.
The request of the lumber manufac-
of hi
plate any immediate or violent over
turning of present rates, but is
for such reduction of the
differential to Kansas City, st. Joe,
Omaha and Atchison as will give
Northwestern Wisconsin points a 'fair
deal.' The application of the abstract
principles of the interstate commerce
law would probably remedy the present
evils, but the manufacturers are too
practical TO attempt to accomplish any
thing with that measure. The present
demand will meet the warmest OppOsi-
ton from Chicago lumbermen, and the
Chicago d Atoms influence will be
thrown for the maintenance of the pres
ent differentials. If the demand is
granted the Minnesota manufacturers
will undoubtedly also dig up the
hatehet, as the present grievance would
thus be lntenSlhed, but 1t Is not eX-
pected that they will actively
OPPOSE THE PRESENT MOVEMENT.
which seeks to obviate the commercial
absurdity by which the lumber of the
Michigan peninsula is distributed from
Chicago to the southwest for less than
Northern and Northwestern Wisconsin
lumber can reach the same markets.
The present differentials, which are OBJ
nOXiOus to Wisconsin points, have been
in existence three or four years. The
Eau Claire rate has been kept up partly
i'm order to hold up the rates from points
above where manufacturers who bought
heavily of Chicago, st. Paul, Minneapo-
lis and Omaha pine lands have been
held to contracts by which their rates
are based upon whatever the Eau Claire
rate may be. These manufacturers,
who have thus been obliged to stand the
pressure equally with Eau Claire, will
be directly benefited by the proposed re-
ductiOn. Tee screws upon them will
be let up at the same time they are let
up on Eau Claire. 1t is 10 extravagant
statement to say that the Wisconsin
manufacturers who will back the pres
ent move for fair rates, represent an
output of LOCO, ,000,OO0 feet of lumber
year.